How To...
Install VirtualBox under Puppy Linux 2.17
and Run Windows Applications in Seamless Mode

VirtualBox allows you to run a virtual copy of Windows XP inside a window, or full screen, or now -- seamlessly. That means you can have Puppy apps running in windows alongside Windows windows. When running in seamless mode, you'll see two taskbars -- a Puppy taskbar (IceWM in my case) and then a Windows taskbar right on top of that.

I'm running a frugal install, so if you're not, you may have to adapt
parts of this.

Here's how to make it happen:

1. Install dev_217.sfs -- this is the development environment
2. Install Puppy-kernel-source_217.sfs -- this is the kernel source

These two steps must be completed first. Basically, you download the
sfs files, drop them wherever your pup_217.sfs is located, then reboot.

When you install it, you can specify an installation directory. I downloaded it to /mnt/home. Then I opened a terminal window and ran:
cd /mnt/home
chmod +x VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run
./VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run install /mnt/home/VBox
(That would install it to /mnt/home/VBox)

I have a hard disk install of Puppy 2.17.1 and get the same message as phi_t_thuy :

As I said earlier, I use a frugal install. The problem is that you need the development system working before you can run VirtualBox, and getting the dev system up on a hard disk install is slightly more complicated than with a frugal install.

Luckily, Barry himself has documented it -- although I have not tested it with VirtualBox there's no reason why it wouldn't work.

The compiler works on the HD install as I have been using it for about 2 weeks.

I created a pup_217.sfs file on another partition, loaded all the required files on the same partition and got VBox working with XP, the only problem I encountered was getting the CDROM working but I soon sorted that out.

XP ran alright so now I am back to the hard drive install to see if I can work out how to get VBox working on it.

I decided to try VBox in a frugal install and had success but discovered a problem after installing XP, this is with a 1.2G save_pup.2fs file.

When you create a virtual machine it is in /root/.VirtualBox/VDI. Before you install an OS in the machine move it to /mnt/home then make a symbolic link to it in /root/.VirtualBox/VDI otherwise it will fill your save_pup.2fs file and make it unusable.
This applies to a frugal install as well as a live disk with a save file on a hard drive.

Yeah, I guess it goes without saying you have to change the default paths in VirtualBox. I simply create a directory called /mnt/home/vdi and put my virtual machine (rather, my virtual disk) files there. The virtual machine files (just tiny xml files) can stay in the default place if you like.

I guess I left that out of the instructions, but for me it's standard practice to install anything that might get "big" into /mnt/home.